Whenever I’m asked to explain Richard Mille to someone, I often describe the brand as the horological equivalent of a supercar manufacturer. Like many of today’s supercars, Richard Mille’s watches are breathtakingly expensive, and rather than aiming to be classically luxurious creations, the Swiss brand’s models are performance-oriented offerings that showcase high-tech materials and advanced features that you won’t find on traditional wristwatches. Since 2016, Richard Mille has had a fruitful partnership with the British supercar manufacturer McLaren, and the two companies have just announced their fourth collaboration model as RM’s latest release of 2024. Inspired by McLaren’s new W1 supercar, the Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 features a case crafted from Carbon TPT and titanium, and it will be produced as a limited edition of 500 examples.

As the modern successor to two of McLaren’s most famous supercars (the McLaren F1 from 1992 and the McLaren P1 from 2013), the new W1 represents the most advanced road-legal car the British automotive manufacturer has ever put forward. Featuring a hybrid V8 powertrain that puts out 1,275PS (approximately 1,258 horsepower) and with a total weight of 1,399 kilograms, the W1 offers a power-to-weight ratio of 899 horsepower per ton, and it includes a Formula 1-inspired ground effect aerodynamic design that creates a whopping 1,000kg of downforce. Capable of accelerating from zero to 200 kph (124 mph) in 5.8 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 350 kph (217 mph), the W1 immediately claims the top spot as the fastest-accelerating and fastest-lapping road-legal McLaren of all time, and the new Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 adheres to the cutting-edge spirit of the supercar that serves as its inspiration, both from an aesthetic and functional standpoint.

While the Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 still offers the brand’s signature tonneau-shaped profile, the silhouette of the case has been updated to resemble an overhead view of the McLaren W1 supercar. Measuring 43.84mm in diameter by 16.19mm thick and with an overall lug-to-lug profile of 49.94mm, the case of the new RM 65-01 is crafted from Carbon TPT and titanium, and it features sapphire crystals mounted to either side of the watch to offer an unobstructed view of its internal movement. However, the bezel fitted to the RM 65-01 features an entirely new two-part design consisting of a lower bezel section crafted from grade 5 titanium and an upper bezel made from Carbon TPT that measures just half a millimeter thick. Just like other Richard Mille watches, the new RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 uses titanium screws to hold its various case components together, and the model also offers 50 meters of water resistance to protect against daily contact.

The sides of the Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1’s case feature a quartet of pushers, along with a rubberized titanium winding crown that includes the brand’s signature function selector, which essentially works like a miniature transmission that allows users to switch between winding, date-adjustment, and time-setting modes by simply pressing the crown inwards like a button. The pushers on the right-hand side of the case operate the chronograph’s start/stop and reset functions, while the pusher located at 10 o’clock engages its split-seconds mechanism. Meanwhile, the orange Quartz TPT pusher at 8 o’clock is dedicated to Richard Mille’s rapid-winding system, which enables owners to quickly wind their watches by simply pressing the button, rather than by twisting the crown or relying on the automatic winding system like a conventional wristwatch. With that in mind, the new Richard Mille RM 65-01 can still be wound automatically with its rotor or manually via the crown, and the rapid-winding button simply serves as an additional way for users to quickly restart their watches after they have exhausted their power reserves and come to a complete stop.

Just like virtually all of Richard Mille’s watches, the new RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 features a skeletonized design that is centered around a titanium dial that is inspired by the design of the rims fitted to the W1 supercar. Featuring four centrally-mounted hands and a trio of registers in a conventional 3-6-9 layout, the RM 65-01 also includes a vertical date display at 11 o’clock, along with a function selector indicator located at the bottom right-hand corner of the dial. A tachymeter scale appears along the outer perimeter of the flange that contains the hour markers and minute track, and the dial and hands of the new Richard Mille RM 65-01 are punctuated by small accents of pale blue, yellow, and McLaren’s signature shade of “papaya” orange. Inspired by the dashboard of a supercar, the dial fitted to the new RM 65-01 is significantly less open-worked compared to what can be found on other Richard Mille models, although it still offers a highly technical aesthetic that showcases the advanced mechanics of its internal movement.

Powering the Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 is a 51-jewel automatic chronograph movement, which runs at a frequency of 36,000vph (5 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 60 hours. Additionally, rather than being attached inside the case using a conventional mounting ring, the movement inside the new RM 65-01 sits directly on chassis mounting rubber components, and its plates and bridges appear in the same shape as the case to create a highly integrated overall appearance. Along with featuring split-seconds functionality, the RM 65-01’s movement has its plates and bridges crafted from grade 5 titanium, and it also includes a variable geometry rotor with a platinum weight that can be tuned to the wearing habits of its owner to maximize winding efficiency. Additionally, due to the 36,000vph operating frequency of its movement, the new Richard Mille RM 65-01 is capable of measuring times down to 1/10th of a second, and governing the time is a free-sprung balance with a variable inertia design that consists of four adjustable weights located on the balance wheel.

While Richard Mille does not provide much information about the strap or clasp fitted to the new RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1, the photos of the watch depict it on both a standard black rubber strap and an equivalent that appears in McLaren’s signature shade of “papaya” orange. The two straps offer a ventilated design that is similar to the various other rubber straps that are fitted to Richard Mille’s tonneau-shaped watches, and they appear to be completed by the same type of titanium deployant clasp that can be found elsewhere throughout the brand’s contemporary catalog. Additionally, while it is not explicitly stated in any of the press materials or on the brand’s website, it can be reasonably assumed that both straps are included with the watch, and they attach directly to the case using grade 5 titanium spline screws to create the cohesive and integrated appearance that characterizes all of the brand’s various tonneau-shaped models.

While the McLaren W1 supercar will be produced as a limited run of 399 examples (all of which have already been claimed), the Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 will be produced as a limited edition of 500 examples, and this seems like a fairly high production run considering the high-spec concept of the watch. Additionally, while McLaren’s new W1 supercar has a starting price of more than $2 million, its wristwatch counterpart is quite a bit more attainable, and the new Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 has an official retail price of $388,000 USD. Just like other ultra-exclusive timepieces that are inspired by supercars, I imagine that most examples will be claimed by buyers who also own the McLaren W1; however, there will inevitably be some individuals who have zero desire to own a performance-oriented vehicle and purchase the new RM 65-01 simply because they enjoy its design and appreciate all of the engineering that went into its development. For more information on the Richard Mille RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1, please visit the brand’s website.